Pagina's

Chief executives from five of the Netherlands biggest firms have written an open letter in the Financieele Dagblad urging immediate action to solve the euro crisis.
'It is one minute to midnight and therefore of greatest importance that there is a decisive approach to the euro crisis in the short term,' the letter signed by Frans van Houten (Philips), Paul Polman (Unilever), Peter Voser (Shell), Hans Wijers (AkzoNobel) and Feike Sijbesma (DSM), said.
'This is the best way to restore trust in a strong and united Europe. We have to focus on measures to make the Netherlands and Europe more competitive on the world market,' the letter says. 'This does not mean retreating behind the dykes. Looking further beyond borders is the only solution.'
International
The letter says this last point is crucial given the enormous shift in economic power that is taking place in terms of developing economies. 'These newcomers are often cheaper, faster and sometimes more innovative,' the letter states.
The business leaders point out that the Netherlands is traditionally an internationally-orientated country with a healthy economy.
'As part of Europe, we are part of one of the most important power blocks in the global economy, and we and our European partners have influence,' the letter said.
The answer is lies not in protectionism and nationalism 'because that will not make our country better or more prosperous, rather the opposite', the business leaders said.

In short, what we have here is above-liners asking for more for the above-liners, crony-capitalists demanding more crony capitalism.

Just last Friday our PM, Mark Rutte, stated he would like to see an EUnion commissioner for budgets, one whose decisions cannot be second-guessed, cannot be overruled. There's something you don't see every day: A democratically elected PM arguing for the destruction of democracy. What interesting times we live in.

All of these people are cut from the same cloth: In the name of the economy, in the name of their own portfolios and positions, democracy has to be dismantled, has to be destroyed.

The erstwhile leader of the Socialist Party in NL, Jan Marijnissen, once said "Democracy is not for the easily frightened". Reversing that statement we must conclude we are ruled by uptight, frightened little men, whose only interest is the bottom line, whose only stake is the amount of money they are able to extract from the likes of us.

They have no principles, no vision. All they have right now is their fears. And they frighten easily, these days. Which makes them all the more dangerous. Faced with the same disaster we are seeing heading this way, they are caught in its headlights, frozen stiff, willing to give up all that is right and good about our way of life to safe-guard their wealth.

And the saddest part: No one, and I do literally mean nobody, in bien-pensant Holland opposes this lot. Nobody condemns or ridicules or shames them for their unspeakable cowardice.

The last vestiges of democracy in the Netherlands are sacrificed on the altar of Mammon. But where one would expect the angry roar of a crowd, kitted out with pitchforks and torches, with tar and feather, you only hear the desolate sound of a lonely cricket.

I sometimes despair for this country. Are we all as easily frightened as those that lead us into this mess? Have we really lost all of our courage, self-sufficiency? Are we really going to resign to the abomination they have planned for us? Are we really no more then sheep?

Or are you going into your shed and sharpen your pitchfork, testing the rope you're keeping for when the occasion presents itself?

I can’t help but feel that we are watching a performance this week. It feels like the actions, the meetings, and the statements are all very scripted. It seems reasonably clear which ending they are going for, but many of their actions also fit the “alternative” ending so it remains imperative to be cautious.

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/all-worlds-stage

Which is what I wrote, "I just dont believe it anymore. To me it seems that we are being played for chumps. This is a drama, in which the politicians get star billing. They have tried to be celebrities, and that is what it seems to me now. They meet, they hug(whats with this hugging business), they come out for photos, but thats it. Its just a celebrity fest.

Its going be a stitch-up, the plebs are being led by the nose. I have the feeling , there will be fiscal union, either by the front door or the back. EURef states that the mechanics and time table required, plus EU regulations, will not allow such an event. My answer to that is when did the EU ever follow its own regulations - legal or budgetary?